Blood Raven
by Bourguit
Summary: This is a story about Blood Raven's life of struggle and sorrow after Diablo was defeated in It speaks to the mental, physical, and spiritual transformation that has made her into a famous tragic heroine in the world of Cover art by


**Town Life**

At its busiest, Shadra knows that working at the "Eastern Heart" tavern isn't worth her wage of ten coppers. All of the tavern's twelve tables were filled with people everyday and throughout the day, ever since the roads were reopened after the ring of bandits were caught. She soon found that trade and travel meant two things for Midas town: Caravans of new food and old, fat, stale men with even staler stories of adventure of brave men saving foolish woman.

Shadra is too involved in her own world of dealing with the loud noises of metal cups slamming on the tables and an old rag in dirty bucket water to clean up with. Though, her dirty hands spend more time slapping away the hands of drunken men than they do cleaning. And despite working with a tired back and worn out feet from serving platter after platter of food, she's lucky to eat the scraps afterwards for her lunch or dinner.

Her one guilty pleasure is watching Mable, a young boy that the tavern's owner put to work after he accidently burnt half of the inventory a month ago. He ceased any other attempts of trying to impress Yori, the youngest bar maid of the tavern that was given the name as the harpy by jealous wives.

Shadra smiles when he stands and listens to tall tales of a table from visitors with his complete attention. If she didn't get to know him in the past month, she'd still see his dreams of being a hero in his eyes. Despite his limited magic, his real skills were for cleaning the wooden floors, killing bugs and mice, cleaning up vile and chopping wood for the large kettle in the kitchen. He'd receive no real attention or real coin until he uses a simple magic trick to create images of dancing light to entertain visitors. When asked for more, he'd politely shy away with an excuse to clean; only the staff of the tavern and the townspeople knew he only enough magic in him for that one trick and to cast enough flame to burn down a stock pile of food.

She excuses him from the table and she says, "Mable, go fetch some more wood for the kettle, the soup is getting cold."

Mable replies, "I shall do as you wish…for now. But do not depend on me for too long, for I will obtain enough gold tonight to obtain my freedom."

Shadra smirks. "Child, don't tell me you've obtained a new foolhearty plan to pay your debt. It pains me to see you hurt…_again_."

"You have been the kindest to me here, so I will excuse you of your insurrection for calling me a child," Mable says with declaration, though he immediately makes his way out the door after she ruffles his wavy hair.

She walks to the table that Mable stood at and she says with a simple smile, "Please, don't fill that boy with dreams of fortune and glory, his mind isn't tested enough to handle the realities of life."

As she bends over to take some of their empty plates off their table, she can feel his eyes on her mid-back and her long toned tanned legs.

He says, "Anything you say love."

The man is about to slap her backside but she catches him by his wrist and slowly adds pressure as she looks at him with a grin. He looks at her arm with disbelief, as her tightening muscles put his portly arm to shame.

"_Stick_…to your loose women...sir," she says as she stares him down.

She lets go, takes their plates, and walks through the crowd as his friends mock him. She quickly walks in and out of the kitchen, just as the town bard, Joanna, enters the tavern.

"Good day, fine people of Midas," Joanna says as she cheerfully strums her small with a soft touch, stepping leisurely from table to table, and humming a sweet sounding song.

Shadra rolls her eyes and starts to clear another table, Joanna's new purple silk dress and her black leather shoes is too much to bare. Her only comfort is that when Joanna's short, curly, blonde hair bounces as she moves, Yori will secretly stew on the inside as she will be forgotten by the vary patrons that was begging for her favor moments ago.

However, Shadra can't resist looking as Joanna starts to sing. Her voice just captured attention, sweet and flawless like a nightingale. Shadra put a copper coin amongst the silver coins in Joanna's coin bag attached to her side when she passed. And when Joanna walked to the man sitting by himself, stewing over the same bowl of oatmeal, Shadra saw the grimace on his face turn into a smile; Joanna's reward is a gold piece, his gift is the rare gift of Joanna's kiss on his bearded cheek.

Joanna finishes her song and preceded to give only the friendliest her attention, though the length of her attention always depended on their wealth and status. Either way, Joanna laughs at horrible jokes with a giddy and high pitch laugh; it brings Shadra back to her work.

Mable walks in with an armful of wood, barely able to balance them on his arms. He takes one look Joanna's nearly flawless face, her beautifully plump soft lips, and blue eyes and he trips on his own feet. Everyone laughs except for Shadra who helps him collect the pieces of wood. As he stands up, he smiles at Joanna. She looks back, her white teeth gleaming and her dimples making her so irresistible that he nearly trips over his feet again, but Shadra catches him in time. Everyone laughs again, including Shadra.

As Shadra pushes him forward when he has the pieces on his arms, covering the corners of vision so that he looks straight ahead, she says, "Mable the great, coming through."

**Midnight Adventure**

Mable rides with his horse at night, fast and with little concern that his torch is about to blow out. He's too scared to think straight, he ventured to far into the woods and paid the price. He's doesn't want to look back, he can hear the traders yelping and yelling with excitement behind him. He tries not to replay his near capture in his head, he is just thankful for being able to use his fire spell.

"Get him before he makes it into town!"

The tension makes him grab the reins tighter as he passes the bridge leading into the clearing. A knife just misses him and wedges unto a nearby tree.

"Get him! Kill him!"

His heart races as when his horse's back legs is lassoed and is tripped, Mable is knocked down to the ground along with horse.

As Mable screams as his torch blows out, "Someone help me!"

Mable is pinned down from behind by an unseen man, but his motive is clear when his scimitar blade is put against Mable's face.

Mable hears being whispered as he sees the sword being lifted, "Close your eyes and say your prayers to…"

Mable sees the man fall on his face. As the other men scramble to escape back in the woods, Mable looks up and sees the man with an arrow in his back. Mable scuttles into a nearby brush, hearing the clashing of swords, horses falling, and men screaming. His mind wonders; bandits or thieves wanting in on the spoils for themselves. Then, as his mind quiets, there's a deadly silence.

Mable, breathing hard, takes a slow peek out from the bushes. He sees only one man, bruised and broken, crawling towards the woods. He then sees two cloaked figures walking out of the shadows and into the moonlight. They have the best leather armor he's ever seen, one carrying a bloody short sword and the other with a long bow and a quiver of arrows tied on behind.

"Rogues," Mable mutters to himself.

They both pass the man, but as he mumbles the rogue with the bow turns around and shoots an arrow into his head, pinning his head to the ground. Not satisfied when the man breathes his last breathe, another arrow is shot into his back.

He watches the rogue with the sword stand in place and looks at the other, with disapproval he hopes. Mable takes a step back and a twig breaks under his knee, both rogues immediately look in his direction.

As Mable dashes out of the bushes and heads towards his horse, he says, "Please don't kill me…please don't. They took everything I owned…it's back in their camp in the woods."

He tries to untie his horse, but he struggles with the knot. He looks back and sees no one, unable to discern any footsteps aside his beating heart and his horse's panting. His heart's pace slows when he works on the knot, feeling a rush of blood tingle back into his shaking fingers.

**Deductive Work**

It's late and he's had a long day, but Mable is just staring at his dinner of potato soup and bread. His deep thoughts of prior night is interrupted when Shadra rubs his head as she passes him by and joins the other barmaids at the bench across him to count their coins and share stories of the day.

Mable notices her adjusting the new thin leather band on her head that she bought earlier in the day from a trader. A simple item, too simple for the cost of two silver coins he thinks privately. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her upset, he decided that her ignorance would be more blissful to her than punching the trader in the face. As he watches her smooth out her straighten brown hair, giving Yori a simple smile, he's happy with his decision.

Mable watches on as Shadra turns her head towards the door. He does the same, but he doesn't hear anything or see anyone. He sees her get up, walk outside to help a little boy on the floor just outside the tavern door, wrapping her hands on his knees before the door swings closed. After a moment, he watches as door opens and Shadra briefly talks to another woman and the child; Shadra's hair dances nicely in the night wind.

He always thought she is beautiful as well as kind, when she isn't lost in thought or attending tables. After closing the door, she smiles when catching Mable looking at her, giving him a brief wink. But immediately after a strong wind blows the door open and puts out all the candles and torches at once. Most of the staff laugh as the owner uses the fire under the kitchen's pot to light up a torch, but Mable notices that Shadra is standing still, listening to the howling sound from the wind and the creeks from the door.

When the wind dies down, Shadra turns around and closes the door. As everyone is helping re-light the candles, Mable walks to Shadra as she is still standing by the door.

"Shadra?" Mable taps her on the right shoulder. "Are you ok?"

She twitches, then looks at his hand and brushes it off. As she walks into the kitchen, he notices a thin trail of blood seeping onto the back of her shirt. Mable slowly follows her. He finds her standing in the corner between stacks of dirty bowls and cups, shaking.

She says again and again, "No more demons, no more monsters…Great Eye, please hear my prayer."

He touches her shoulders, casting a spell.

She looks back and asks, "What…what are you doing…"

Mable is pleased when a sharp coolness leaves his fingers and onto the arch of her back. The spell ends and her posture loosens, so loose that one of her dress's strap slides down to reveal several claw marks on her back; including a large one on the middle of her back, now healing thanks to him.

He utters, as she straightens her shoulder strap, "You're…one the rogues."

She turns around, grabbing the butcher knife off the table, and puts it to his throat. "If you were anyone else…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"Be quiet." She puts the knife back on the table as he catches his breath.

"It seems you've kept a lot of secrets to yourself little mage. I'll trust that you can keep another."

Mable nods his head in confirmation. "Are you ok?"

"I don't want to talk about it…just, go back to your dinner before it gets cold."

He says, "I…want to learn how to be a hero."

"_Hero_? Look at your wiry muscles on his arms…," she says briefly wiggling his arms.

He replies, "I've collected enough money to pay off my debt and still have two silvers to pay for your time."

She laughs. "You lied last night."

He smiles. "You've been lying to me for the last month."

She smiles. "No."

Before she walks away he quickly adds, "I'll follow you through out your duties. You'll feel my eyes upon you day and night. When you clean, cook, or sleep…"

"What was that?"

Mable sees Shadra's smile lessons as her hand searches for the knife.

Mable smiles as he walks further away from her. "Even if I was blinded, I'd trained my ears to hear you and my nose…"

"Your tongue is your gift, so my target is quite clear."

"No my lady, you are a hero, your threats are meaningless."

"What makes you so sure? I see fear in your eyes."

Mable replies, "And I see honor in yours, my lady."

"There's no hope in your pursuit, but if it'll give me peace…I will teach you to protect yourself against others. I'm sure that you will put yourself in trouble's way again."

"I swear my loyalty to…"

"Shut up," she says annoyed, leaving the kitchen.

**Training**

The morning sun is just rising and Shadra is hidden in a tree as Mable walks deeper into the woods, welding the poorly made wooden sword she made him. She smiles as he carefully looks for her, waiting for her to pop out near him. She thinks to herself that if this was a battle, he'd already be dead. She throws a pebble into the bushes behind him.

"Try to sneak quieter," Mable yells as he spins around and swings the wooden sword through the bush.

As he looks inside, Shadra falls down to the ground with a cat's grace and dashes towards him. She pushes him into the bushes and then runs into a different patch of bushes. She controls her breathe as she watches Mable run out, covered in leaves, angrily swinging his sword around.

Mable starts to cut into various bushes and she takes out a padded arrow and aims, waiting for her shot. As soon as he turns around, she releases the arrow and it hits him on top of his head.

"Ow!"

She dashes out behind him and pushes him to the ground. "I'm not impressed mage."

She climbs up onto another tree and hides as Mable stands up. She sure that she didn't leave and trace as he looks around. She grins and slowly takes out another padded arrow, aims, and takes a shot, followed by another quick shot. She happy when Mable didn't see the first arrow hit his ankle, making him fall to his knees. The second arrow hits him on his forehead when he turns around.

"You are far from being a legend Mable."

He hears rumbling near him and a kick to the stomach, ensnaring a sudden anger inside him. He stands up and uses up his energy to burn everything around him in a tunnel of flame, only to burn grass and earth. When the flames dissipate, Shadra stands ready in front of him, holding her bow ready. She smiles when his eyes widen with surprise.

She releases the arrow and the arrow flies towards his head, but in an instant Joanna appears in front of Mable and catches the arrow with her hand.

As she briefly bows her head, Joanna says, "The boy is not ready for your training my Captain…permission to train him myself."

"Joanna…you're the second rogue? And you can teleport?"

"Are you sure you want _him_ as a responsibility?"

"I…will become stronger…," Mable starts to say, not able to say more in his defense upon thinking of his performance.

Shadra says smiling, "Forget the tales and the stories of strength and power. Keeping your balance and focus will keep you alive. One day rain will pour on your clothes all day and mud will collect on your boots while the undead will be in armor and will carry long swords with the one goal of chopping your head off…where will your power be without your focus? Understand?"

Mable thinks for a moment and then asks, "Why did Joanna call you Captain?"

Joanna smiles widely. "I see what you mean."

"What did I say," Mable asks, rubbing his head.

Joanna turns to Mable and says, "Hail, my name is Singing Bird, sister of the Sightless Eye. And this is Blood Raven, Captain…"

"Former…Captain," Shadra adds.

Joanna turns to her and says, "Former only to you. Many would still follow you into hell if you asked it of them."

"That's enough, Joanna."

Mable's says, "The Sightless Eye, I've heard of you. My master…"

"Deckard Cain, we know," Joanna interrupts.

"How did…"

Shadra says as Joanna turns to Mable, "We would be horrible rogues indeed if we didn't recognize a member of the Horadrim as he and his apprentice travelled into town."

Mable asks, "Are you here on a mission? Does my Master need to know…"

Shadra raises her hand momentarily and Mable stops talking. "My only need is normalcy. My closest friend Kashya was arguing too long and too hard with our High Priestess for me to be commissioned back into the Sisterhood. And I was denied."

"Why? And why would they kick anyone out? Was there a…indignity with the leader's husband?"

Shadra laughs; it is first time she laughed that hard.

Joanna interrupts as Shadra rubs his head, "The High Priestess felt she no longer followed the old traditions and duties. So in her infinite…wisdom…she felt that Blood Raven, the leader of the rogue band that helped fight Diablo at Tristram, was too troubled for service."

"Diablo…_Diablo_," Mable interrupts loudly with interest.

They quiet him.

Mable says, "Tell me everything…_everything_."

Shadra sighs as she looks over her bow string as she embraces the reality that she'll now have two admirers to deal with her in her free time. "All I'll tell you is that you tend to become a more efficient killer when the Lord of Terror sends wave after wave of minions your way. And when all things are said and done, you bury the ones you care for most. And you survive…with the memories..."

Mable is lost in thought, until Joanna clears her throat.

"Are you ok, my Captain?"

Shadra says as she turns around and starts to leave. "And of course, I get one sister who won't leave my side, no matter how much I yell at her to leave me alone…Joanna, teach the boy about our ways."

Mable asks, "The bow?"

"No…subtly, my dear boy."

**A Hero's Tale**

The afternoon rush comes into the tavern, along with the town guards and their rumors of strange creatures roaming the woods and outside lands. As people from neighboring towns share the same sightings, Mable gets nervous as mercenaries begin to walk inside with loud mouths and weapons of different types. Although, Mable is happy to see new faces getting slapped as they fail in their attempts flattery with Shadra; he's happy to see anyone aside from himself to get her wrath.

But before the next slap could be made, a large man walks in the tavern, 7 feet tall, wearing black leather. He double edged axe tied to his back looks like a child's toy. The man stops for a moment. Mable looks around and everyone in the tavern has stopped talking, eating, and, in some instances, breathing; their eyes only are only on him.

Mable takes the opportunity and casts a spell; a new spell that Cain deemed safe for him to learn before leaving with a messenger back to Tristram a day before. As Mable recalls the hour long story that his new watcher told of giants, parts of the tall man's body starts to glow. His leather armor gleamed green, Mable knows it's to improve his agility and reflexes. When Mable looks at the man's leather gauntlets with three smooth white stones at the wrist, they gleamed green brightly as well. The man's thick, black, leather boots glowed blue, Mable assumes that they were to keep his footing.

Mable's eyesight returned to normal as the man moves towards the table in the end. Mable head nods to Shadra as she cleans a table. In a heartbeat, Joanna walks inside, smiling and looking especially radiate in her new pink garments with black cloth flowers woven around the waist line and matching pink shoes. Mable watches as Shadra picks up plates and subtly points to tall man as she walks towards another table.

Joanna runs in front of the man and jumps into his arms. His attention is immediately on her as he holds her up; also immediate is the smile on his face.

"I need a large, handsome man to buy me a drink. You'll suffice."

The room laughs as she continues to dangle carelessly as he carries her to the table.

She hugs him and says, "Two cups of ale for my friend and some wine for me. Mush!" She hits Shadra's back side.

The tall man laughs a guttural laugh as he sits her at the end table. Shadra walks into the kitchen, mumbling to herself. As the people start to breathe and talk again, Mable's awe for rogue subterfuge is growing in leaps and bounds.

Joanna does her part when she makes the man happy with only a few playful tugs of his beard and faking enthusiasm as he lets her feel his arm. She calls him Frankko after she laughs at his jokes; Mable knows that Shadra could hear his name even if she was outside. Mable is excited, feeling that he finally understands their tactics.

After Frankko finishes the last of the two day old chicken meat, bread, cheese, and crackers, finally having his fill, Shadra brings a large plate over; containing a bowl of lemon water and a clean rag to clean his hands; a treatment reserved only for nobles.

Mable watches the concern wash away from Shadra's face as he drops two gold coins on the plate; he's too smitten with Joanna not try to impress her.

"You are most generous," Shadra says with a slight head nod and smile.

As Shadra walks back into the kitchen, Joanna whispers into Frankko's ear briefly as she sits on his lap. Frannko laughs and whistles at me. "Oi!"

Mable is caught off guard as Frankko points his large pointer finger at him and then waves him over. Mable stops pretending to clean the floor, slides the rag and bucket water under a table, and walks to their table.

"Yes sir…how can…"

"Sit."

Mable sits down, watching Frankko scratch his large chest. Mable briefly glances at Joanna's reassuring smile for strength.

"I'm told you're interested into hearing war stories, would you like to hear some now?"

Mable picks up on his accent, definitely from the North he thinks to himself. Mable looks quickly at Joanna, her smile remained but her eyes slightly widens.

"_Yes_…please."

As Frankko laughs and takes a drink of his ale, Shadra walks out of the kitchen with Yori and sits on the end of a bench of a parallel table to eat their mid-day lunch.

As soon as the man slams the cup down, he says, "_There_ I was…the town being attacked…"

"The town of…my strong warrior," Joanna asks pleasantly.

"Ah…ah…Seine, not two days from here. _So_…any able man helped form a line of defense against a whole horde of minions. We fought scavengers and horned demons. But I got them good…I ripped them…I sliced them…" He takes another drink and then continues, "The guards called to me…_reform__the__line_!"

"Reform the line," Joanna repeats smiling, rubbing his large back.

**The Promise**

After paying the town guards to look the other way, Shadra and Joanna slowly start to walk their way out of town in the night with their limited supplies and weapons. Mable runs after them, catching up with them easily.

"You leave me a note and my silver, and you thought I wouldn't run after you? You can't leave, you know what's coming! How can you leave?"

They quiet him by covering his mouth and walking him into a nearby alley, away from the prying eyes of the guards.

Shadra angrily whispers, "Mable, you've taken ten years from my life."

"You can't leave," Mable whispers.

"Why not? Names and lives can be easily changed," Shadra answers.

"But…"

Joanna says, "You heard what's coming from that mercenary. What he saw wasn't a random movement of loose creatures…it's an organized wave. There was purpose."

"Then stay and help us…train me to prepare…"

Shadra sharply interrupts, "Our business is done. I showed you how to be a _survivor_, so survive and don't be a hero."

"You can't leave…you can't!" He steps in front of them, extending his arms as far as he can.

"Our time of fighting for others ended with you," Shadra says as she easily pushes him aside.

Joanna hugs him and says, "You'll have enough help from the mercenaries, until Cain comes back for you. When he does, leave this place. Ok?"

"Why are you doing this? A hero wouldn't do this." Mable fights the feminine affects of Joanna's hug and stomps towards Shadra. "A hero wouldn't do this!"

Shadra turns around and grabs Mable's arm and she squeezes it tightly.

Shadra says angrily, "_Yes_ they would, if they saw what I saw. No other sister will die on my watch. Do you understand me? _Do__you_?" Shadra pushes him to the ground and he starts to tear and whimper. Joanna starts to run to his side but she stops in place when Shadra yells, "Joanna, _come_!"

Joanna walks past him and says sadly, "Goodbye Mable."

As she walks towards Shadra, she's snatched by an unknown winged creature; her bags and weapon fly off her body as she's flown higher and higher into the sky.

"_Joanna_," Shadra yells as she drops her bags and takes out her bow and puts the quiver of arrows on her back. Shadra watches as the winged creature flies into the clouds and drops Joanna. "_No_!"

Loanna screams until she lands on the ground near a farm. As the guards sound the alarm, people are running out of their homes with scavengers on their back or chasing them.

"Is this is happening…is this really happening," Mable asks before Shadra grabs his arm and pulls him up and drags him with her.

"Come with me, she'll need your healing!"

As they run towards the farm, they run past people getting killed and screaming in burning houses. Frankko runs out of the tavern, cutting up a batch of rotting undead in his way. The town guards quickly call him for help. Frankko does, killing scavengers are jumping townspeople trying to escape town.

After Shadra kills a few of her own, there's a loud explosion. They see that the town's gate is completely destroyed; wood chips are falling in all directions. Men are on the ground, burning alive or dead with pieces of wood inserted in their sides and face.

Mable says, "We…have to help them."

Shadra grabs Mable's arm and yells in his face, "Only Joanna! Only her, do you understand?"

Mable nods his head with confirmation. She then drags him to the farm and they find Joanna lying on the cold ground.

Shadra throws him to her body and yells, "Heal her!" Mable cries before Shadra says, "_Do__it__now_!"

Mable casts his healing spell, but it only heals the injuries on her head and back. There's no breath in her lungs.

Mable says, "It's too late."

Shadra says, "You're wrong…you're do it again. _Do__it__again_!" She pushes Mable, but he wiggles free and runs away yelling, "She dead. She's dead!"

Shadra's heart is pounding and she falls to her knees. She makes a tight fist with both hands and bites her lower lip.

"_No_," she screams.

As Shadra holds Joanna's head, a pack of nine scavengers surround her. She tears as she watches them run after her at once; she knows that she should pick up her bow, but she doesn't have the will to. As they approach closer she watches them burn up as a green mist surround and protect her. In a flash, a tall woman in a hooded black robe with glowing dark yellow eyes is standing a few feet away.

As the eyes stop glowing, the woman says, "Hello child, I am called Andariel. Fear not, I am your friend."

The woman's voice is both friendly and soft, with a calming echo.

"Are you…"

"No, my dear…I'm not your God. I've followed you when you were left alone by your sisterhood _and_ your God. But I am here for you now. Ask my dear and it is yours."

Shadra gently drops Joanna's to the ground and stands up, in a daze as Andariel walks to her and touches her face, wiping her tears away with hands softer than dove's feathers.

Andariel says, "So beautiful…so special."

Although she stood a foot taller than Shadra, Andariel's white face shone like a vision, her red hair is in a perfect braid, and her black eyes shimmer like two perfect gems.

Shadra says, "Please…can you help…her?"

"I'm a mere whisper of my true form, but I can help if you return to your Monastery. Then and only then will all your fallen heroes will rise again…to your command. Would you like this power?"

"Yes…yes," Shadra tears as she watches Andariel smile warmly.

Andariel disappears in a green mist that surrounds Shadra. Shadra takes a step back, her eyes widen and she breathes hard. She's fearful until she hears Andariel's warm voice saying, "I give you power to exact your revenge. I will make you stronger, better…I will give you purpose…all for you. This I swear."

Shadra takes a deep breathe as the mist enters her eyes and mouth in an instant. Her heart beats fast as her muscles grow and get more defined. She's growing a few inches taller, ripping her clothes at the ends. A mischievously winds loosens her hair and moves it back and forth.

She sees Yori being chased by a dark mage and falls near the farm. He looks up at Shadra as she growls at him, "Leave…her…alone."

Shadra starts to recoil, holding her stomach in pain. He grins and immediately casts a spell with a simple wave of his hand. A large fire engulfs her and the ground she's standing on. He looks to Yori, not seeing the bow and quiver of arrows magically fly into the flame.

"Now, where were we," the mage says as he looks towards Yori. As he takes a step towards Yori, an arrow flies out of the flames and into his chest. He dies immediately when he falls to the ground.

Yori stands up and watches in awe, then fear, as Shadra walks through flame. Her clothes are slightly burnt but she has no injury; though her skin turned into the color of ash, her hair is shortened, and her eyes turned blood red.

Shadra looks down and sees that her bow has changed; the wood is burned with gold twisted around it. She quickly looks behind her and the quiver of bows on her back are lit with flames, but they don't burn through the quiver or her.

Yori asks, "Sh…Shadra…"

With a deep voice she says as she briefly looks at Yori, "My _name_…is Blood Raven."

Yori steps aside as Blood Raven walks past her. Blood Raven starts to kill creatures one-by-one, her aim is perfect and her accuracy is pin point no matter the distance. But her most blessed gift is a perfect sense of serenity; she felt no fear or tension. As her victims start to pile up, she stops when she sees Mable's dead body near the gate; for reference, sorrow and guilt were emotions she no registered.

The flying creature that killed Joanna flies and lands in front of her, revealing itself. She sees for what it is, a demon lord; large, red, and a tower of muscle.

Blood Raven simply says, "You-are-dead."

She dodges its massive claw swipes and shoots two arrows, watching them burn through its throat. She shoots another arrow into its head, the killing shot. At the sight of its body falling hard to the ground, she realizes she's stronger when she fought in Tritram. She can better protect the people she cares for. Her lands will be safe, under her control.

The townspeople see her and start to rally as Frannko, bloody from battle, leads the charge. Blood Raven shoots arrows just short of his feet, stopping his and the rally's movement cold in its tracks.

"In my last act of humanity, I will let you live…do-not-test-me."

A red portal opens near the farm as Frannko stands there, festering in his anger.

A voice in the wind that blows against her says, "Come home my child."

Blood Raven turns around, looks into the portal, and sees her sisterhood's burial ground in the Cold Plains. She walks and picks up Joanna's body over her back.

Frannko yells, "You would doom your friend to such an existence?"

Blood Raven says coldly before entering the portal, "Yes. We have an army to build."

The End

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